UNODC Provides Ongoing Assistance to Eastern Africa Police Amidst COVID-19
Introduction to the article.
Nairobi (Kenya), 8 October 2020 – Major threats to peace, security and development continue to affect East Africa, and have only been exacerbated by the onslaught of COVID-19.
Despite this challenge, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) continues to support the Eastern Africa Police Chief Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) by empowering regional law enforcement agencies as they combat transnational organized crimes, amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic – with the generous supports of partners such as the Federal Republic of Germany.
Founded in 1998, EAPCCO is a regional police cooperation mechanism which brings together 14 member countries, namely Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, to strengthen and promote joint strategies to address cross border crime, share crime information, and harmonize legislation in areas relating to extradition and mutual assistance. In practice, EAPCCO engages in joint trainings, joint simultaneous operations, joint investigation teams, and information sharing.